Sprinter Leon Reid, who is planning to run at the Tokyo Olympics for Ireland, appears in court charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and permitting his premises to be used in the production of crack cocaine
- Leon Reid is hoping to sprint for Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics this summer
- However, he has now appeared in Bristol magistrates’ court on drugs charges
- The runner has been released on bail and was among five men charged
Leon Reid, who sprinted for Britain before switching to Ireland, has been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and permitting his premises to be used in the production of crack cocaine.
It has emerged the 26-year-old appeared at Bristol magistrates’ court on March 31 following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, who is planning to run at the Tokyo Olympics, was among a group of five men charged with drugs, firearms and money-laundering offences.
Leon Reid, an Irish track sprinter, has been charged with drugs offences and released on bail
The 26-year-old sprinter is hoping to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer
Reid did not enter a plea after being charged with ‘conspiracy to supply class A (cocaine), permitting premises to be used in the production of class A (crack cocaine), concealing criminal property and acquiring criminal property’.
Reid was released on bail and is due to appear at Bristol Crown Court on May 12. His representatives have not responded to Sportsmail’s request for comment.
The Bath-based sprinter, a former English schools’ champion, won 200m silver for Britain at the European Junior Championships in 2013 and again at the European Under 23 Championships in 2015, but he switched to represent Ireland at the 2018 European Championships.
Reid raced for GB before switching to Ireland, bagging bronze at the 2018 Commonwealths
He won 200m bronze for Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – the first athletics medal won by Northern Ireland at the Games for 28 years.
A statement from the South West ROCU said a further 18 people have been arrested in connection with the case.
Items seized during the investigation included six encrypted phones, a Glock 19 handgun, a carbine conversion kit, a silencer, an extended magazine, ammunition, eight kilos of cocaine, four kilos of crystal MDMA, 3,000 ecstasy tablets, a hydraulic press, and £434,000 cash.